A message for Steven Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada

[edit: Conservative Party of Canada donor solicitation. I’ve lost the photo as this article is being pulled out of archives in August 2015]

It’s nothing really unusual, I get them on a regular basis because I have been a financial supporter of the Conservative Party for many years. If you look in the yellow circle, there is a suggested amount that is in line with what my donations have been like in the past [edit: $125 I think it was]. It’s fair to say that, while I am not the contributor with the deepest pockets, I contribute more than many members do.

But with the Conservatives bringing forward the abominable legislation comprising bills C-46 and C-47, I am taking a new direction:

[edit: picture of torn up solicitation]

You see, I don’t want a dime of my money going to anyone who would support the kind of police-state legislation that those bills bring to this country. I’ve written about C-47 [edit: no, I’m not going to dig up that ancient history] before, and I want to reiterate my position: warrantless access to internet subscriber information and to internet wiretapping is wholly unnecessary in a free and democratic society, just as such information and wiretapping is not freely given for telephones. The legislation is a slap in the face of all Canadians and to democracy in general, it places an unnecessary burden on service providers, and is wide open to abuse. I mean, sure, we know the police never abuse their authority, but still, do they really need this kind of power ADDED? As a citizen, I’m shocked. As a security professional, I’m disgusted.

And if it’s not clear why this is so bad, then think of it this way. Your postal mail has about the same general level of privacy as your internet traffic. So imagine the government proposes legislation that permits them, without warrant, to require Canada Post, Federal Express, UPS, DHL, and so forth to provide customer information whenever someone claiming to be a peace officer asks for it. Furthermore, they require those companies to install the equipment and procedures to allow them to intercept your mail and packages at a moments notice when requested, without a warrant. Further still, they retain the right to OPEN and READ all the packages and mail, without warrant, just because they want to. Unacceptable? I should think so. There’s a reason we have a process that involves warrants and the police explaining themselves to a judge.

So, as long as the Conservatives continue to support such initiatives, I will be putting my money where my mouth is… or more correctly keeping my money where my wallet is. The Conservative Party doesn’t get a dime. Perhaps, at some point in the future, when the Conservatives want to start respecting the people who elect them, I’ll be inclined to help them out. Until that day, they’ll be down my financial support.